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The letter refers to a recent family visit and thoughts on the Civil War.

Date.Original

1861-11-18

Rights

Original document is in the public domain and was scanned courtesy of the Lackawanna Historical Society.

Publisher

University of Scranton

Physical Dimensions

30.5 x 19.1 cm

Coverage.Temporal

1860-1869

Type

Text

Source

Lackawanna Historical Society

Transcript

Cortland Nov 18 1861
Dear brother and Sister Peck;
we arived [arrived]
safely at our own lovely home, in face of a cold
wind, on Thursday evening, after taking leave
of you on Tuesday morning. Our most interesting
visit, together with the information we received
in the mean time, has given us a new in
terest in all that pertains to your [gap] +
Accordingly I drove through your
history of Wyoming, repeating much of it, and
reading some of it aloud; and Mrs. Peck is
quite anxious to hear or read the whole of
it also. I am now in progreess with "Early
Methodism" which I am following up in
the same way Gilbert has returned from
his work, and is into his new present, [unclear]
"Manly Character" with deep interest. He
regrets he could not have been with us, and
seen the interesting scenes we speak of, which
are so vividly described in the reading and
pictures of the history My wife has set her
plants [unclear] and will sow the seeds Sister Peck
furnished her So we shall have quite
an amount of mementoes of our visit to
Scranton and the valley
Our Rigement, [regiment] encamped here, is fitting up
gradually, and our soldiers and officers are
incoraged [encouraged] somewhat by the late news [gap]
small victories which, as yet, we have gained,
and the two important ports captured, and
especially the last, Port Royal, afforded no little
prospect of future success; But the new posision [position] taken by some of our commanding of-
ficers, [officers] and the war department, ^ [gap] the subject
confiscating the time and labor of the slaves
claimed by our rebellious foes, affords more
incouragement [encouragement] and adds more to our pros-
pects of success than all the victories we
have yet gained For what would be their
strength or prospects without their slaves
And why should we hesitate to divest the
enemies and rebels of the government of their
chief source of power? To conquer them, in
this way, would be a cheaper, and easier way,
and quicker, as well as by far, more mer-
cifull [merciful], than to do it by [gap] balls and bul-
lets [bullets], the miscles [missles?] heretofore - chiefly employed
and just so far, and just so far as the
government processes [unclear] in putting down, and
putting away this abominable practice
just so far, and just so
fast some [gap] progress is made
and aside from it, there is really so
far as I can see, nothing, or next
to nothing done. This [unclear] department, as it
appears, begins to see Happy for all con-
cerned [concerned] if they had seen it sooner; but
better late than never. It is in vain
to plead, as our excuse for the tardy movements
of the Administration - in this great reform,
that they fear dividing the north, by too rapid
a movement in other right [gap], while
it is well known that the people are far
in advance of the government in this thing.
And the greater danger of division hisin delay rather than in [gap]. And
as for those who object to the confiscation
of slave property, by the government, in nine
cases out of ten, they will upon examina
tion [examination] be found to be in sympathy
with the slave holders, as rebels, as well as with
them in their pretended slave
property And why should the govern
ment [government] neglect the more [unclear] speedy and effect
[gap] means of putting down the Rebellion
to accommodate the feelings and con
form [conform] to the wishes of those who are in
fact connected with the rebellion, in sym-
pathy, [sympathy] if not otherwise.
We took great pleasure and satisfaction
in finding you so pleasantly situated
That your health, for labor, and efficient
service in the church holds out so well.
We were quite surprised to find Sister Peck
so active and enjoying herslef so well.
I have long since considered that, debts,
in connexion [connection] with property that is, at all
times, worth the [gap], Ours, by no means
the greatest of calamities [unclear] I have
also, for years, lookd upon the man and
the woman who have lived to raise a vir-
tuous [virtuous] son or a virtuous daughter, as having
by no means lived in vain And that the
Lord has enabled us, and helped us, to
rear not only virtuous Children, but those
that are in the way of usefullness [usefulness], as la
borers [laborers] in the [gap] Vinyard, what reason
have we to be humble and thankfull! [thankful] Elburt [unclear] not only returns thanks for ^ the present, but, says,
he wants, much, to see the author of it you
both his Uncle and Aunt
Our Pulpit is supplied, and likely to be, till
Conference, by Br. Graves, an [gap], who
becomes our Pastor, and also keeps a [unclear] super
vision of the Distric and provides for the quar
terly [quarterly] meetings as best he can
Please write
Our love and respects to you both
Our compliments also to Mr. + Mrs.
Calvin
Andrew Peck
and Betsy H. Peck
Mr. + Mrs.
Rev. Geo. Peck